MetaEfficient

Rock Port: First U.S. City To Run On 100% Wind Power

by Justin Thomas • April 21, 2008

Officials at Rock Port, Missouri, christened a four-turbine wind farm this week, making Rock Port the first U.S. city to get 100% of its electricity from wind power.

The $90 million Loess Hills Wind Farm, built by the Wind Capital Group generates five megawatts each day, more than enough for this town of 1,300. The wind farm consists of four Suzlon 1.25-megawatt wind turbines.

In fact, the farm is producing enough energy to power a second town of Rock Port’s size. Missouri Joint Municipal Utilities will buy excess power from the farm, expected to eventually generate 16 million kilowatt hours of electricity per year.

To celebrate being America’s first wind-powered community, Rock Port, which is located in the far northwest corner of Missouri, will host a “Green Switch” celebration on Friday.

Comments 8

Its good to hear that there are some actions to force renewable energies instead of doing endless researches about whether it could work or not. However its necessary that there is a mix of different alternative technologies which contribute each other. If every city would gratify its demand on its own it could cause poblems at times when there is e.g. a lot of wind, and the offer surmounts the demand.

Do the Math. Awfully expensive per person, $90,000,000 divided by 1,300? So even if it lasts for 30 years and its manufacturer is still in business to cover the warrantees, I wouldn’t be so sure of any fixed rate, regardless. A lot can happen in one year, much less 30 years. Right now there’s new and really cost effective Vertical axis turbines way out performing old Windmill ‘Propeller Towers’ and in a few years, when the old windmills are totally obsolete and outdated, these poor people still have to keep on paying for them. And, is that the ‘All inclusive Price?’ The financing interest? The transmission lines? What about conventional Power plant grid and back-up in case some time in the next 30 years there.s a few days or a couple weeks when the earth stands still or the wind doesn’t blow, or it doesn’t blow hard enough? And what about Government ‘add-ons’ for Green Credit recoupment sowhere down the road. See, its a Ponzi Scheme. No matter what, you never get it paid off and there’s always next years’ New and Improved model already waiting! Co-op bus and trucking companies all went broke buying into the same schemes. Hold out for Wind Turbines that are more cost effective and better proven than old ‘Wind-Mill ‘Propeller Towers!’

Ken calls BS because he’s full of the S. Ken, the “Grid” is the storage. In the future though, there will be so much Wind and Solar that another storage option will be needed because the “grid” won’t be able to handle it. Tech always moves forward Ken and those options are being tested and perfected. One day, there won’t be much of a need for a National Grid. Only local ones. And that means more reliable and less vulnerable/expensive.

FANTASTIC!
I think this is wonderful. Congress and the Libs say this can’t be done, not practicle. Way to go Rock Port!
We need this, and solar, and nuclear, and drilling for our own oil and gas, and the full gambit of all types of power for the future. Come on America – wake up! Stop saying NO!!! We’re smart enough to “interweave” all these technologies together! Geez! We’re America for God sake! We can do ANYTHING!!!!
bigeasy

“feasible for larger cities” = exactly what the old energy infrastructure wants.
One big answer, not a bunch of resilient, distributed small answers – because then that means no easy way to have a few controlling the energy fates of the many. If you have a small wind “helix” and some solar panels on the roof of every home in california the people and the environment win and the big, old energy companies lose. We cannot allow that to happen, we must wait for the one big answer to our energy future.